Dancing: How much does it cost?

In some of my posts I’ve mentioned as an aside, that competitive dancing is not cheap. Because of that, a couple of the readers of this blog have emailed me to ask “Just how much does it cost?” To which I must answer, dearest readers, without qualification, and without my usual drama:

I recall from the interview, that the number one piece of advice which Older Americans would like to pass on to younger generations is

“You shouldn’t wait to do something
which you really want to do.“

Do it now. And dancing, dear readers, all four of you who are actually reading this blog, is definitely one of those things which should not wait until “Someday“. Do. It. Now. You have been given a royal decree by my inner domestic diva. If you don’t go and do some dancing she may throw her bon-bons at you!

But I digress… Back to to the topic at hand. 🙂

If you are one of those folks who demand “instant gratification” then scroll all the way to the bottom of this post for the “quick and dirty answer”. But if you want a more developed explanation of the costs then keep reading:

Getting a toe in the water, metaphorically speaking

Zero $ up to the cost of a couple beers…

Go buy a beer. Yeppers, it is that easy. Beer, helping people learn to dance since 5,000 B.C.

Ok, ok, what I mean is find a bar or nightclub that offers free dance lessons. Usually these lessons are earlier in the evening before the club starts to charge a cover so you get in free and you get to attend the lessons for free. The club does this in the hopes that you’ll (1) buy booze. And (2) buy more booze.

Sometimes the lessons are for “line dance” and sometimes for “couples” and sometimes the club will offer both. The skill level at which the classes are taught is almost always “absolute beginner”. Think about it…when there is alcohol involved you need to keep it simple. 🙂

Usually the couples lessons do not require a partner; the instructor will pair people up. Again, the club is trying to sell booze and what is a better way to *ahem* “pair people up” than by selling them booze and then shoving them into close physical proximity via the subterfuge of “dance lessons.” Sneaky aren’t they? Their evil plan is to make guys think they actually have a chance at getting lucky and the poor sap will not only buy booze for themselves but for the intended *ahem* target of their besotted affections. Toldcha, them thar bars are Sneaky!

Often the class “rotates” where after about 10 minutes with one partner, you move one person down and get to practice with a different partner. This really helps new dancers because you get to practice with a variety of people which is what actually happens when you are out social dancing. And it increases the likelihood that you’ll *ahem* strike up a conversation with someone, buy them booze, by yourself more booze and let nature and beer take its course.

That’s couples dancing. Line dancing of course is where you are dancing on the floor with a group of people but everyone is dancing “by themselves” but arranged in lines and everyone learns the same pattern.

Line dancing is the easiest of all the ways to learn how to dance, in spite of, and sometimes because of the booze that you’ve generously bought from the nightclub. Even if you are really wanting to learn how to couples dance, don’t overlook the benefits of doing line dance! When you are dancing by yourself, you have to take care of your own timing, rhythm, balance, and remember all the steps which helps you become practiced at these skills. In short, Line Dancing can improve your couples dancing!

The Next Step: Group Dance Classes

$5 – $15 per class or $50 for a five week course…

Yes, classes in a nightclub, as described above, are technically “group classes” but they are the very bottom of the barrel. It is a one shot deal designed to get you to drink and to potentially get *ahem* lucky and make the bar some money in the process. True they are “free” but it is also true, even it it is a a cliche that “You get what you pay for.” If you are not paying for the class then you can’t really expect much beyond the very basics.

After you’ve taken a few of the “bar” classes and learned your left foot from your right foot and are able to remember which is which when sober, then you may wish to consider group classes at a Dance Studio, a “Fun Ed” class at a Recreation Center, the Continuing Education Department at your local Community College, or a group class at a night club on a night when the bar is closed and no alcohol is being served.

Terri Bordeaux shown dancing with one of her students in a competition is the instructor at Cowboys Arlington and offers top notch group dance instruction.

An excellent example of this type of class are those taught by Terri Bordeaux at Cowboys Arlington in Arlington Texas. Yes, I’m inserting a shameless plug for my first ProAm Coach. Terri teaches high quality classes on a variety of dance styles at a very reasonable cost. Here is the website if you want to learn more: about the classes: http://www.cowboysdancehall.com/Arlington/Dance-Lessons/

Classes of this type are not a “one shot deal” like the bar classes. This type of class usually last 4-6 weeks and cover one specific style of dance: Two-Step, West Coast Swing, Night Club Two-Step, Polka, etc. The class may be one of several levels, Beginner, Novice, or Intermediate levels. Each week builds on the information presented the week before. So you are really expected to take the full set of classes to get the full benefit of the lessons.

Generally you sign up with a friend or your spouse or a significant other, and arrive as a “couple”, but often singles as in “by themselves” not as non-married do sign up and are paired up with other folks who need a dance partner. There is some rotation of partners but not as much as in the bar classes.

The idea here is that you are really attending the class to learn to dance. Not to learn to dance in order to pick up dates. Well, ok, maybe for some folks that still holds true but the emphasis is on the dancing! Prices will vary but they average around $10-15 per class per person per class.

Some classes are pay in advance for 5-6 weeks of classes. Those generally average out to the same $10-15 per person per class but you pay up front.

Private Couples Lessons from a Professional Dance Instructor

$40 – $150 per hour; Average rate is $50-65 per hour.

Ok, so you’ve taken a few group classes and you can hold your own on a Friday or Saturday night at the local watering hole. In fact people who don’t know better or who have had a few beers say that “You’re a pretty good dancer!”

Now is when you might want to consider taking some private lessons. To lower the costs you find a good friend to take the lessons with you so that you can split the cots which means each of you would pay $20-$50 apiece for each lesson.

A word of caution: Married people should only take dance lessons together if (1) they have a very good marriage counselor, (2) ironclad per-nuptial agreements, or (3) both partners are on the fast track for canonization. If you do decide that you’re both stuck with one another and that dance lessons will not affect the relationship, just remember, what happens on the dance floor… …stays on the dance floor.

Prices for private lessons vary depending on the competition in the area, the experience level of the instructor, and the style of dance being taught. Also, an “hour” of instruction is actually only 50 minutes. The other 10 minutes in the hour is for collecting checks, running credit cards, scheduling the next lesson, getting one student in while the other student is leaving, chatting and rough housing and commiserating about the mistakes made and knowledge gained during the lesson and giving the instructor a brief chance to go to the little dance instructor’s room.

This level of instruction is where you can really make some serious progress. When you take your newly honed dance skills back to the night club, folks will ask if you are a “pro.” Hey, I’m not kidding here! Dance, like time, is relative.

Some studios and instructors offer package deals. Buy 10, get on free, etc. Also, some instructors include the floor fee for the studio in the price they will quote you. You may hear “I charge $50 per hour plus floor fees” which means that you pay $50 to the instructor and another $10-$15 per hour to the studio for use of the dance floor. Or you may hear “I charge $65 per hour which includes the floor fees for the studio.” In that case you pay the instructor and the instructor pays the studio for the floor fees.

You’ve been “hooked,” “smitten,” “bitten” and there’s no turning back

At this point, if you are spending real money on private dance lessons from a professional dance instructor you generally start thinking things like:

“I need a good pair of boots to wear out dancing” or “I need a pair of practice shoes for my dance lessons” or “If I’m going to be attracting attention at the club then I should buy a couple nice outfits so that I look good while I’m dancing.”

Yes, friend, you have now fallen down the rabbit hole…. You find yourself walking around the office using correct “dance frame” and exhibiting excellent posture as you sit at your desk. You walk through a store, see a nice shirt and think “Hmmm that would look good for West Coast Swing.”

Your co-workers notice a difference in how you carry yourself and ask “Have you lost weight?” or “Do you have a new hairstyle?” or “Are you in love?” They don’t know what has changed, but they can tell that something has changed and for the better.

So, at this point, you mightencounter some additional expenses like the following:

Lady’s Dance shoes: $60 – $175

Men’s Dance shoes: $75 – $200

Dance boots: $200 – $300

New Clothing (Prices will vary–ask your boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, BFF, or your local drag queen for more info and style tips.)

Floor fees (because you want to come into the studio between lessons to practice what you’ve learned): $10-15 per hour (60 minute hour)

Private Lessons — Just you and a dance instructor

$40 – $150 per hour; Average rate is $50-65 per hour.

Usually what happens is that the follow progresses faster than the leader. And thus one or the other “students” wants or needs lessons on their own with an instructor. The lady wants it because they feel like their “amateur/student” dance buddy isn’t keeping up with their pace of learning and they want to be able to follow the wonderful fabulous orgasmic lead of the Pro rather than the fumbling lead of their dance buddy. Of course the pro’s lead is going to be awesome. They are a pro. 🙂

For the poor leader who is trying to remember a dozen things all at once, the leader wants a chance to catch up without dealing with “The Look”. Yes, the “Look” that a follow gives the leader when they’ve done a dozen basics with no spins, no twirls, no nothing and the follow is BORED and can’t figure out why the leader isn’t doing SOMETHING, ANYTHING other than BASICS!

Hey, follows, give the leader a break. He’s got two people to worry about. More on this in a later post. (BTW, just because you see two guys or two girls dancing together in a dance studio do not assume they are gay. They may be but they may not be. Top level dancers learn to both lead and follow and it is very common for instructors to take either the lead or follow role with students of either gender.)

Nonetheless, you are there in the studio alone with a professional dance coach/instructor. The price is the same as for the couples lessons but the cost is “higher” because you are no longer splitting the fee 50/50 with your couples partner.

Again, ask about package deals. Most studios and coaches will offer discounts if you by a 5 pack or a 10 pack. And, prices vary depending on the local competition, the experience level and reputation of the instructor, and the style of dance.

At this level, you will definitely want to budget for “practice time” in the studio also know as “floor fees.” The going rate on Floor Fees is $10-$15 per hour paid directly to the studio. If you have a gym membership, you can usually use the aerobics room when there is no class or the squash court or basketball court. Anywhere with a hardwood floor will work.

Time to go Watch a Dance Competition

Attending a local dance event can be a blast. For approximately $75 for a 3 day pass, you get to see two “shows” on Friday & Saturday night, competition at levels from Beginners to Masters, and attend dance workshops. Day passes to get you into the events just for Friday or for Saturday or for Sunday are generally available and run $25 – $30.

Time to Compete!

Now is the time to take out a second mortgage or get a part-time job or find a sugar daddy or sugar momma.

So, you’ve taken private lessons for a few months and your coach casually mentions that there is a dance contest coming up next month. You, not seeing the hidden pool of quicksand, say “Sure! That sounds like fun!”

Ah, my friend, my poor novice befuddled baby dancer. You just have been hooked, reeled in and flipped into the boat and the grill on shore is warming up for you to be fried. <insert evil cackle>

Now there is no turning back. Your hobby is now about to turn into a passion. Well, maybe. There is always the chance that you’ll die of terror just as you step onto the competition floor for the first time. But then again, maybe not.

First we’ll need appropriate attire:

Cowboy Hat: $150 – $500 (mine cost $350 — It is a Peters Brothers Hat) Hats are only for the Country Western Dancers. But since CW dancing is awesome you’ll need a hat at some point. *grin*

Shirt: $25 – $350 (depending on whether it is store bought plain shirt or custom fitted and built and depending on the number of rhinestones on the shirt.)

Second or third shirt: $25 – $350. I have four. One for West Coast, current cost is right at $200, but that will go up because I have to add more Rhinestones to it. I have another one for Waltz and only waltz. It is a tux style shirt with French Cuffs with color accents that match my partner’s dress. The third is a custom shirt with retro cowboy styled cuffs that I wear under the vest for five of the eight styles of dance. The fourth is a shirt that I wear only for Two-step. Current cost for that one is $120 but there will be more rhinestones added to it which will probably take the cost up to around $300.

Tie: $10 – $200 Depending on where you buy it and how many rhinestones are on the tie.

Tie tack: Free – $25 depending on who fancy a tie tack you want. I actually have found that bobby pins work best to keep the tie in place when dancing. Those I beg, borrow or steal from someone at the competition because I keep forgetting to go and buy a package for my dance bag.

Cuff links: $20 Needed only if your shirt has French Cuffs.

Belt: $25

Belt buckle: $150 (again for Country Western dancing)

Pants: $40 – $250. Depends on the look you are going for. Jeans are the cheapest option for country competitions. Slacks designed for the competitive dancer can be very expensive but tend to average around $150-$175

Socks: $20 – $50 per pair. If you compete in more than one division you’ll want a fresh pair of socks for each division you dance. There is nothing more awful than dancing in sweaty socks.

Boots or shoes: $60 – $300. My pair of Evening Star Dance Boots cost a little over $200. My “International” Brand practice shoes cost $166.49 (I know to the penny because I just bought a new pair two weeks ago)

Orthopedics: $200 – $300 per set. Some dancers swear by these.

Shoe brush: $20 You have to have one of these. Not only to scrape off the gunk that accumulates from walking on carpet or the tiles in the lobby but to nap up the suede to accommodate different levels of stickiness on the dance floor. A slick floor means you need more nap to ensure secure footing while dancing.

Hat brush: $20 If you have a hat, you’ll need a hat brush to keep it looking clean and sharp.

Hat case: $55 If you’ve spent over $200 to buy a cowboy hat, you need a case to protect the investment.

Garment bag: $25 This is the bag you use to carry your costumes from the hotel room to the ballroom and to keep your costumes neatly organized and grouped while on the rack with all the other dancer’s costumes. It avoids some other dancer from accidentally taking your costume by mistake. Which does happen on occasion.

Studio “Team Jacket”: $45 – $60 If you spend as much time as I do in the studio, the other dancers become an extended family. You’ll want to show your loyalty to the “home team” by having a studio jacket.

And guys, before you say “holy crap-a-roonie!” that is an arm and a leg!!!! We get off easy. For Country, we are talking one pair of pants, 2-3 shirts and a couple vests and boots.. For ballroom you are talking one jacket, one shirt, one pair of pants and shoes if you’re doing Smooth and if you’re doing Latin it is one shirt and one pair of pants.

Ladies however… OMG! Dresses START at $750 and go up. It is common for dresses to be $2,000 and dresses of $5,000 are not unheard of. And they need at least four of them to suit the different styles of dance.

Note added 4/11/2012 My fabulous dance partner Donna let me know that I had overlooked an important consideration and thus overestimated the starting point for the price range for lady’s dresses. The prices that I quoted are “off the rack” ready to go dresses complete with stones etc. With smart shopping, a healthy awareness of how clothes look on your body, and some basic skills in the sewing department you can get a dress with alternate skirts that allow you to have a complete set of competition outfits for around $200 including a few rhinestones. The dress that my partner wears was purchased online and is a “practice” dress which she bought the associated skirts for the different styles of dancing. With some artful sniping and decorating with rhinestones she ended up with a complete outfit. Note to self. I need to take her clothes shopping with me the next time I go. 🙂

So when I walk into the ballroom wearing my studio jacket and carrying my garment bag of costumes, a hat box with my cowboy hat, and a dance bag filled with Advil, Gatorade, energy bars, sweat towel, shoe brush, hat brush, emergency sewing kit, and other assorted <drum roll please> I am carrying: OVER $2600 IN COSTUMES, BOOTS AND ACCESSORIES. Ladies can be carrying that much in a single dress.

But wait, that’s not all!

Oh, you think that’s something? We’re just getting started. The little list above is just for the costumes. Here are some of the other expenses:

Travel costs to out of town contests: airfare, rental cars, gas, local transport, hotels, food. Hotel usually runs $90-$120 per night. Airfare and the rest are typical of any travel nowadays.

Entry fee for the event which includes the 3 day pass which gets you into the free workshops, the competition as a spectator, the Friday night and Saturday night “shows.” Usually the three day pass is $60-$100

Saturday night dinner show. If the event offers dinner with the show or before the show, the dinner is extra: usually $30-40

Paid workshops: Some events offer special “paid” workshops where you can take lessons from the elite instructors. These are on a per workshop basis and run $10 – $25 per person per workshop.

Per dance entry fee to the event. For each dance you compete you have to pay. A “full program in UCWDC and ACDA consists of five dances. You have to do a full program to qualify for overall placement. There are eight dance styles. Per dance fees start out with an early bird price of $12 – $15 per dance and go up from there ending up around $18 – $20 per dance just before the contest. So if you do one division of eight dances at $15 per dance then you would pay $120 per division at the Earlybird price. More if you turn in your registration later. It is common however for a contestant to enter multiple age divisions: over 30, over 40, etc and dance two or even three divisions. Which means they would pay $240 or $360 These prices are for events during the year. The World Championships are more expensive with the early bird price per dance starting at $25 and a Six Day Pass is required to attend.If you compete in multiple styles: “Couples,” “Line”, and “ProAm” each of those styles have their own set of dances which means their own dance entry fees. Using myself as an example: If I enter one division (8 dances) with my dance partner in Couples, two divisions of ProAm (dancing with my coach 2 x 8 dances = 16) and one division of Line Dance (5 dances) , my dance entry fee total would be (8 + 8 + 8 + 5) x 15 = $435

Pro Am Instructor Travel Expenses: You have to pay the travel expenses for your coach to attend the contest: hotel, airfare, food, costume cleaning etc. Generally this is split evenly between all the “students” attending the contest. If your coach has a lot of students attending the contest then this is pretty low. If you’re the only one then you’re on the hook for the whole thing. Different coaches charge different things. My coach only charges for actual travel expenses and does not charge for food or for costume cleaning. Some ballroom coaches charge for the lessons that they had to cancel to attend the contest with you. So if the contest is on a Saturday and they had to miss all day Saturday and half of Friday teaching then you have to pay for the lost lessons. Again, my coach is awesome and does not follow that particular practice. Some studios book all events for their students as a group and they add an administrative charge.

Pro Per Dance Fee. For every dance your instructor dances with you at the contest you pay them. Generally $20 – $25 per dance is the norm. so if I dance 16 dances with my pro, I pay $25 for the first set, and $15 for the second and/or third. Some coaches give a price break for multiple divisions. Some don’t. Practices vary widely.

Instructor entry fee: If the event requires instructors to purchase a 3 day event pass, then the coach generally will pass this along to the student.

Photos/Videos/DVDs – At every event there are usually professional photographers and video crews who will, for a fee, take photos of you and video your performance. Photos are usually $5-$15 each and DVDs are usually $15 per dance.

Extra Effort Means Extra Lessons and Practice Time

If you are going to compete you’ll need to have a minimum of 1.5 hours per week in lessons and 3 hours of practice for every hour of lesson.

I typically have one private with my coach each week and one shared couples lesson. My dance partner and I practice between 3-12 hours a week, averaging around six hours per week. About every 3-4 weeks my dance partner and I will take an “extra” lesson with a specialist or visiting instructor, coaches who are recognized experts in a particular style of dance.

Adding it all up…

I’m not going to do that. At least not to arrive at a “yearly total.” If you really want to know then you can scroll up and down this page, do some math and make some assumptions about number of contests attended and numbers of lessons per week, etc. But I’m not going to do it.

Yes, when I’m doing my budget, I know that an event will cost me X amount of dollars but I’ve never done a yearly total. I don’t want to know that number because whatever that amount, it is worth it! I will, however, do a total on a typical event so you can get a rough idea of the costs. So you’ve had a lot of lessons, you’ve bought boots, shoes, and costumes and now you want to attend a competition that is out of town (most of them are out of town):

DVD Spotlight: all divisions, all 29 dances $250
(Sometimes they have a video pass and you can bring your own camera which means the video is only $40 approximately)

Photographs: $30 (not every comp)

Dry cleaning costumes after the event: $30

Grand Total: $1,595 approximately per event.
FYI, the World Championships cost at least double that amount.

Plus costumes, plus lessons, plus floor fees.

Nope, this sport ain’t cheap. Oh, I almost forgot… …there are a few more expenses most serious dancers encounter at some point: Music either downloaded or on CD, iPod, headphones, video camera, iPad or laptop computers also figure into the cost. Why? Because you need to be able to film yourself, view yourself, and you have to have music to dance.

It will not come as a surprise then to learn that most of the people who do this sport are professionals of one stripe or another who are firmly in the middle to upper middle class financial bracket: doctors, nurses, lawyers, bankers, accountants, librarians, teachers, EMTs, firemen, police, etc. Your average minimum wage guy working the 7-11 on the night shift isn’t going to be able to afford the sport. Or your unemployed Librarian, but that is a tale for another post. 🙂

Summing it all up: “The answer”

The answer to “How much does it cost to dance?” is “It depends on how far you want to take dancing.”

You can start at almost zero cost.

Most people end up with it costing a few hundred dollars a year for lessons and spend between $60-$200 a good pair of dance shoes or dance boots.

However, if you take it to the levels of being a competitive dancer then it can cost thousands of dollars per year.

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About TxCowboyDancer

Nine time Country Dance World Champion. I love to dance. In the middle of a journey, transforming myself from "unemployed and out-of-shape" to "in-shape and full time dance instructor, writer and graphic artist."

You are so right about posture. I am obsessed with it. I’ve been reading books about it, I started sitting on a cushioned bench at work because the office chair made me slouch. Then I bought an kneeling chair. I think about my posture as I walk too. My abs have gotten stronger from all of this and no crunches were required.

Right about the BITE of the dance bug. Just for some of the ladies out there. You can get a MUCH less expensive costume and be on the dance floor competitively for a couple of hundred and cover all dance styles. Don’t think you need four different outfits all starting at $750 however if you really like, and can afford, the really showy dresses they are available

My wife and I love going to dance classes. I do agree that it is an expensive hobby but I think its definitely worth it. I buy clothes and shoes online. There’s a few competitions in Melbourne where you just had to go with your school at no extra entrance fee.